kapelusznik18 ***SPOILERS*** Carrie clone that has homely but, unlike she's made out to be in the film, slightly overweight teenager Rita Matchett get revenge against her tormentors both in school as well as at home by using her telekinetic powers that we later learn that she was born with. It's the slim and sexy looking Jackie who's the first of Rita's victims who loses her grip while doing the Indian rope trick hitting the floor of the gym breaking her neck. Jackie made the mistake of getting under Rita's skin by calling her "Tubo" and "Fatso" every time she saw her.Back at home it was Rita's dad Glenn who always treated her like she was dirt or dog poop that got her to take revenge against her kid sister the slim and athletic looking Kristina, the apple of her dad's eye,whom she caused to lose her balance as well as coordination while competing in a swimming contests at school. It was in fact Rita's weird looking swimming coach Jo Standish a secret master of the black arts who took Rita under her wings and gave her the power by chanting together with her a number of unintelligible "Mombo Jumbo" phrases to do her tormentors in. There was also the spaced out and creepy looking Dale Boyce an expert in the paranormal who realized just what Rita was all about but knew that no one would believe him or that Rita would do him in if he ever opened his mouth about her. So he kept it-his mouth- shut all throughout the movie keeping it, his terrible secret, from both the police and the school authorities.***SPOILERS*** Most of the real action was saved until the very end of the movie when Rita was ordered by her dad ton take a flight to Great Britain to get rid of her as well to see the changing of the guard at Buckingham Placer that really flipped her out. The last thing that Rita wanted to see is those clowns in their red coats and fur hats making monkeys out of themselves for the public's amusement. This had Rita strike out not at her dad but Jo Standish whom she now felt was just using her and her telekinetic powers for her own selfish advantage. ***MAJOR SPOILER*** It turned out that the person behind Rita's supernatural powers was non other then her All-American & apple pie looking mom Marilyn Matchett who once was a witch herself in what seemed like another lifetime! And she also kept that secret from Rita until she got so out of hand, in destroying everything in sight, and finally had to put an end to it!

Michael_Elliott The Spell (1977) ** (out of 4) This made-for-TV horror film was shown just three months after the release of CARRIE so it's easy to see why it's been forgotten over the years. Lee Grant plays a mother who starts to get worried when her overweight daughter (Susan Myers) begins to act strange against those picking on her. Soon it appears the girl has supernatural powers that she's using against those who pick on her. THE SPELL is obviously a cheap rip-off of the Brian DePalma classic and I think what really kills this film is the screenplay. It's hard to feel sorry for the young girl played by Myers because she's really just an all around ugly person. In CARRIE we at least cared about the girl and even in the end when we might not agree with what she was doing. In this film there's never a single scene where we feel for the girl and this is really what causes the film to fall apart. Each time we see her she's being rude, ugly or trying to kill somewhat. This here isn't the best way to fall for any character. It's also rather annoying watching the mother walking around so stupid and never really being able to see what's going on. The film is basically told through the eyes of the mother and she goes back and forth so many times that it's hard to relate to her as well. Grant, for the most part, deliver a good performance as the mother and I was also impressed with Myers. A very young Helen Hunt plays the sister and does a nice job with it and we also have James Olson turning in a good performance. The direction is okay but I think a faster pace would have helped things. THE SPELL really doesn't come anywhere close to CARRIE but it's probably best that one doesn't try to compare the two films. Even on its own, this here is pretty weak and is only for those who need to see every film of its type.

marymorrissey honestly! the beginning of this movie is quite extraordinary on account of the lousy camera work. The hand-held work is clearly not in any way... intentional! and the sound is amazingly awful. it's worth sitting through for this one scene in which Lee Grant one of those "damned good actresses" who is absolutely horrible in this film goes to visit some old woman who greets her in a caftan with open arms but suddenly is brought up short while... some metal thing starts to come out of her mouth an' honey it sin't dentucreme! then her black tongue comes out while Lee acts to the hilt giving it her granted all and the woman's face comes apart and she goes stumbling through the window. honestly it's so funny that I intend to record it with my video-camera. A parapsychologist! Honey she needs the fire dept and who knows what all else! a so bad it's horrendous movie... to compare it to Carrie is like comparing I don't know "Love American Style" to "Romeo and Juliet" it's just so awful... a train wreck! another hi-lite is when Helen hunt (who was kind of a provocative beauty in her youth, a la Lela sobieski) is trying to explain to transactional analysis Lee grant momma of the 70s that the supposedly fat girl (who really isn't fat at all, incidentally) is a murderous witch along with her lesbian gym coach who also has this witchy satisfaction whenever someone's face burns up or what have you and ... Helen is so frightened that she puts on the radio to mask her telling mom of fat-tie's murderous witchy ways, and the music she happens to find ... is some kind of I don' tenor what again "LOVE AMAERICAN STYLE" type soundtrack it's so ridiculous! Oh Lee Grant, Oh Helen Hunt Oh my goodness! To the person who remembers seeing this at age 8 and being impressed, honey you were probably more like 2 years old, OK?!

utahman1971 I just watched it on THIS channel! I thought it was very good for its time and for TV. It is not comparable to a movie like Carrie. It has same concept, but not the same in comparison as for them being on movie and other on TV. TV is going to be no more than TV14. Carrie was made for theaters and video. All these people saying its a rip off of Carrie, how lame is that. I already explained the difference, now get off calling movies crap when they aren't the same. This site is not to just come here and put movies down because they did not like it. It is to review it. I see so many people come on here and they just put movies down. I look at their profiles and that is all they do too. Just because this movie had it as the girl and mother had special power to control things with their minds does not mean it is a Carrie rip off. I see so many slasher movies, but no one calls those after other slashers rip offs of other slashers. So learn to enjoy movies. Just because you are bored of watching does not mean other people will be. I leave the choice for people to choose whether they want to watch it, and not come in here say I hate it, and say it in a certain way to persuade others not to see it. Enjoy this movie. I thought it was fine for TV.